2024 Resilient Youth Report Finds Concerning Decline in Students Connection to Nature
The Wellbeing in Learning and Development Lab (WiLDlab) has released its annual Resilient Youth: State of the Nation Report, which provides a national perspective on wellbeing and behaviour amongst almost 150,000 children and youth in Australia. The report debuts the students self-reported connection to nature, while aiming to highlight and identify key trends in:
- Student mental health
- Learning
- Engagement
- Resilience
- Social behaviours
“For the first time, the report summarises students’ connection to nature as this may play a role in student wellbeing; however, the level of connection students have to nature declines as they progress through school.” says project lead and Environment Institute member Dr Mark Kohler.
The data was collected directly from students using an adapted version of the Illustrated Inclusion in Nature Scale. Results were aggregated to ensure individual responses were unidentifiable, maintaining anonymity and confidentiality. This approach encourages honest responses and provides valuable personal insights into students’ well-being.
“Feeling connected to nature has been associated with better individual wellbeing, mental health, and happiness, as well as positive environmental behaviour” as extracted from the report. Results show that amongst primary school students 15.2% reported a low connection, 25.2% reported mid-range level of connection, and 59.6% reported a high connection to nature. When comparing the results by gender, females showed a slightly higher level of connection than males.
Amongst high school students, 25.7% reported a low connection, 34.8% of students reported mid-levels of connection, and 39.5% of students reported a high connection to nature. Females reported similar levels of high connection compared to males.
When considered across year levels, connection to nature shows a concerning decline, with around 65% of year 3 and 4 student reporting high connection, down to just 34% by years 11 and 12.
“When looked at across age, connection to nature appears to peak in the middle primary years, decline more rapidly across the upper primary and lower secondary years, and continue to decline at a slower rate throughout middle and upper secondary years.”
“Given the association between connection to nature and pro-environmental behaviour, efforts to prevent this decline earlier in childhood are likely important to promote a future generation willing to do what it takes to repair and conserve our natural environment.”
As this was the first time the report established information on students’ connection to nature, this potentially became an important facilitating factor of student wellbeing, particularly the context of environmental challenges.
Resilient Youth Australia Director Dr. Andrew Wicking understands how crucial it is to invest in student mental health and wellbeing. The results, which indicate a general stabilisation of wellbeing scores, call for action from policymakers, educators, parents, and communities to support and help young Australians become happier and healthier for generations. One way RYA and the University are responding is through the development of the WILDSIDE program—a one-day school training initiative that equips Grade 5/6 student leaders to facilitate nature-based activities for their peers. A evaluation of the program has been completed and is currently being prepared for publication.
Learn more
The report was featured in Education HQ, click here to read.
Newsletter & social media
Join us for a sensational mix of news, events and research at the Environment Institute. Find out about new initiatives and share with your friends what's happening.